Bridgette shook her head. Honestly, she’d never even thought to ask. “I’m sure Lachlan does. Ye should ask him.”
Helena’s mouth twisted into a grimace, but then she smiled. “Colin told me it was a gift to a MacLeod chief from his fairy wife. He says the history goes that she was allowed to marry the man on the condition that she had to return to the land of the fairies after twenty years with him. When twenty years came and she had to go, the fairy gave the flag to her husband. She told him that if a grave time of need came and he were to wave it, help would come. But only on three occasions.”
“I ken the history,” Bridgette replied.
“Is it real?” Helena asked and leaned toward Bridgette again, her gaze probing.
Bridgette blinked. She may have imagined a few things tonight, but she was not imagining Helena’s scrutiny. It was almost as if the woman was searching for an answer, but whatever was the question? “Aye. They have waved it twice, once in battle with the MacDonalds when the MacLeods were losing. They waved the flag and the battle swiftly changed, and the MacLeods were victorious. And again they waved it during the plague. A great many here were dying with nae a hope to save them, so the chief waved the flag and the next day all who were sick before were well.”
Helena gasped. “So without the flag the MacLeod clan would have been defeated and destroyed?”
“Aye.”
A triumphant smile came to Helena’s lips, but then her expression grew contemplative. “I wonder who else might ken where the flag is kept.”
“I dunnae,” Bridgette said, tired of talking about the flag. She wanted to be alone, not standing here with Lachlan’s woman. “I’m away to my bedchamber now.”
Helena gave her a distracted nod, but then her eyes sharpened on Bridgette. “Did ye happen to see Lachlan?” she asked, her voice sounding coy to Bridgette’s ear.
Bridgette had the oddest notion that Helena knew Bridgette had been talking with Lachlan. “Nay,” she lied, determined to race up to the tower and see if Helena went straight to where Bridgette had left Lachlan standing. Not even waiting for Helena’s reaction, Bridgette turned away, calling her farewells as she climbed the stairs two at a time.
By the time she reached the tower, she was panting and her side had a stitch from the fast pace, but as she looked out the window and below into the courtyard toward the tree where she had stood with Lachlan, her notion about Helena was confirmed. The woman stood in front of Lachlan with her arms twined around his neck and her body pressed to his.
Jealousy coiled in Bridgette’s stomach but with it was confusion. Why had Helena lied about not already knowing where Lachlan was? There was not a chance the woman had found him that quickly. Had Helena been watching Lachlan and seen him with Bridgette? Oh, what must the woman think? Did she suspect something? But truly there was nothing to fear. Lachlan did not desire Bridgette anymore, and Bridgette would not act on her desire for Lachlan.
